Weekend Wrap-Up Catch-Up

Wow! Time flies. I'm 2 weeks behind in my weekend posts so here are the past 2 weekends condensed into one entry. Enjoy!

April 4- 6

• Loitered for 40 minutes at the Alaska Airlines counter where it took 8 employees to check me in for my flight from Burbank to Seattle. The silver lining was the 1st class upgrade that for my trouble.
• Enjoyed quite a few glasses of wine on the flight back to Seattle, perfect to alter my thinking away from all things L.A.
• Dined at Bell Street Diner with Don after he picked me up from the airport.
• Happy to be back in my own bed and enjoyed a FABULOUS night of sleep.
• Started the day Saturday with laundry and coffee which has become our usual but I'm not sure I ever completely woke up from my sleep/home induced fog.
• Took a lovely nap.
• Made clam dip, ordered Chinese food and watched Raiders of the Lost Ark with Kat on Saturday evening.
• Organized, cleaned and enjoyed a day to myself at home. I don't mind traveling for work but I love being home.

April 11 - 13

• Played pool with Don at Rock Bottom on Friday night. I had spent two weeks basking in the glory of my recent win but went down in a ball of fire with only 1 win to his *too numerous to count* wins.
• Stopped for coffee on our way to Bothell to pick up Kat and have breakfast at Maltby Cafe.
• Ran errands in the Woodinville/Bellevue area.
• Traveled *around the pond* to Dave and Kristen's house in Port Orchard for John's (the cutest nephew in the world) 2nd birthday celebration. I took tons of pictures which I haven't had time to upload from the camera. Party was fun but overwhelming and when I found myself wiping frosting off some random child because his own mother hadn't bothered to notice, it was time to go.
• Enjoyed an appetizer and a few drinks at Silver City Restaurant & Brewery before heading back to the Seattle via the Kingston-Edmonds ferry and Bothell to drop Kat off at home which turned out to be only a few hours after her normal bed time.
• Unwound with Don and a cup of coffee at Cheesecake Factory in Bellevue.
• Enjoyed a day at home on Sunday. When I climbed into bed that night I realized that I didn't speak to another person all day which initially I thought was odd and then realized that it was just what I needed.

How was your weekend(s)?

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day, or VD, (insert 5th grade snickering here) today. My feelings about Valentine's Day haven't changed at all since my post last year, Why I Hate Valentine's Day, so I won't go into that again.

Several things that have happened this week have reminded once again of why I have a love/hate relationship with this holiday. I was reminded of the good during a conversation with my little brother a few days ago about some of his childhood memories of Valentine's Day. He, like me, is somewhat indifferent about Valentine's Day now but remembers every Valentine's Day of our childhood with great affection. And when I gave it some thought and wiped some of the cobwebs away, I remembered great things too, including:

• wearing red ribbons in my hair to match a carefully selected red outfit
• planning out the design/decoration for my Valentine box weeks in advance
• picking out *the perfect* Valentine's to share with my classmates and then sitting at the kitchen table for hours while I carefully signed them and stuffed them into their little envelopes
• Mom making heart shaped pancakes
• being dazzled by playing our Atari, a Valentine gift in 1980 or 1981

But I have also been reminded of the bad as I watched a friend feel "the pressure" of creating a perfect Valentine's Day for a girl that he has been dating for a short time. I listened as he told me about the teddy bear he had ordered from Vermont Teddy Bear Company that would be delivered to her office and the jewelry he planned to present to her on tonight only to feel his palpable disappointment when she gave him the "let's just be friends" blow off yesterday.

However you chose or don't chose to celebrate Valentine's Day, I hope today is a good day for you and one when you are surrounded by people and things that you love. I hope that you don't feel the pressure to make any grand gestures but rather remember to love and be true to yourself.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today is the Chinese New Year which you can read about in far more detail here. Welcome to the year of the Rat!

Curious to see what the year of the Rat will mean to me, I googled and found the this website that gave me (an Ox) the following prediction:

The Ox
Sturdy, earthy, no-nonsense – that’s the Ox. Affectionate and easy-going, the Ox can show a fierce temper when agitated. He is neat, tidy, quiet and studious, with a great love of his home. Music can be a great love. Family life and a loving partner are high on the Ox’s priorities. A wonderful loyal friend.

Forecast for 2008
The Ox could be quite tired after a hectic last couple of months in 2007. During 2008 the focus on work continues, with excellent prospects for promotion, moving to a better position and also taking up new skills. It will be important for the Ox to take time out for recreational and social pursuits in order to relax and remember to enjoy himself. 2008 will also be a lucky year for Ox’s with possible monetary gain or unexpected gifts arriving during the year. Friends will also play an important role in the year, providing support, camaraderie and fun times. The Ox is not the most social animal in the Zodiac and it’s important for him not to neglect his existing circle of friends this year. His well-considered and honest advice will be sought a few times over 2008. March to August will be a terrific time for work advancements.

Champagne Celebration

Celebrating my better than average scores on the MCAT with several colleagues at lunch! :-)

Happy Chinese New Year

You Were Born Under:

You are solid, methodical, and you do things right the first time. Even when no one else does, you always believe in yourself. You tend to see the world in black and white, right or wrong. A good memory and eye for details means you tend to thrive at near impossible tasks. You are most compatible with a Snake or Rooster.

What Year Were You Born Under?